Which "off the beaten track" countries have you visited?

Jeremy Sproket · 08-10-2021 8:34pm #1

Have you ever been to a country that not may other people have been to?

I've been to Ukraine (picking up in popularity, I know 😉), Belarus, Moldova, Transnistria and Northern Cyprus (the latter two only being recognised by one or two other nations) 😋 The crossing from Cyprus to TRNC was relatively straightforward as was the crossing into Transnistria.

whomadewho · 08-10-2021 9:09pm

I've been to Sumatra,Indonesia, Tibet and Myanmar (Burma). Would highly recommend all 3 parts of the world.

mfceiling · 08-10-2021 9:27pm

Uruguay in 2001. Was nothing worth talking about.

08-10-2021 9:34pm

Ivory Coast

Togo

All of South America except Guyana and Venezuela but no so "off-the-beaten-track" anymore

08-10-2021 10:29pm

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.

All great spots. Kazakhstan is some place if you are into Soviet architecture, nuclear test grounds, and huge statues of Marx and Lenin.

silliussoddius · 08-10-2021 11:16pm

Is Merv in Uzbekistan, looks like an interesting place?

Cake Man · 08-10-2021 11:37pm

Did a cruise about 4 years ago to Fiji and stopped off at two locations there -Lautoka (near where the film Castaway was shot) and Suva, the capital. Then on to Port Vila, Vanuatu and finally Isle of Pines (Ile des Pins in French) in New Caledonia.

Typical relaxing island vibes and stunning scenery but Fiji and Vanuatu in particular are fairly run down. Looks like they got a like of paint and upgrade about 20 years ago but nothing maintained since.

08-10-2021 11:51pm

Ireland. Might surprise, but not a lot of the world even knows it exists

pappyodaniel · 08-10-2021 11:54pm

"I've been around the world, and it's fu*kin' sh!te" - Brian Limond

JohnCleary · 08-10-2021 11:56pm

Ukraine approx. 10 years ago.

Myanmar just before COVID. Flew back home Jan 2020, close call. Not only did Myanmar get ravaged by COVID (like many other countries) but of course another coup with blood on the streets.

08-10-2021 11:58pm

I don't think there are really too many 'off the beaten track' countries anymore! Maybe some areas of countries.

Been in Moldova, northern Cyprus, Ukraine. Would love to go to the stans like Dr phibes above.

Spent a lot of time in Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia, all around the Balkans really. Been to Aland, which is an autonomous region of Finland, an island between Finland and Sweden, where the people are more Swedish.

Happyhouse22 · 09-10-2021 12:11am

Have been to Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Transnistria also.Never to Northern Cyprus but would love to go.

Other off the beaten track places I’ve been include Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Somaliland, East Timor, Vanuatu and Malawi.

I also lived in Gansu province, despite being in China it was probably more remote than any of those countries

Happyhouse22 · 09-10-2021 12:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995897#Comment_117995897

Merv would be Turkmenistan.

Fascinating country but didn’t make it to Merv,

09-10-2021 12:33am

Antarctica (a continent), Greenland, Faeroe Islands, Svålbard (well not a country exactly but has most northerly town in world), Galápagos (island of Ecuador), Newfoundland (Province of Canada), Albania, Serbia, Åland Islands (autonomous islands of Finland), Azores (lesser visited islands of Portugal), Namibia, Ile de La Réunion (French island in Indian Ocean), Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ukraine, Seychelles, Northern Cyprus, Shetland, Orkney, Islay, Jura, most of Outer Hebrides, Colonsay, Isles of Scilly, Lindisfarne, Gotland (Swedish island), La Palma (the Canary island with active volcano atm), Texel (Dutch Frisian island), Bornholm (Danish island), Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, Herm.

Andrea B. · 09-10-2021 12:47am

Malaysian Borneo.

Samuri Suicide · 09-10-2021 1:54am

Bit of a dick swing conversation

Look above..

YFlyer · 09-10-2021 2:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995230#Comment_117995230

Me too after a conference in Brazil. Also briefly, for a few hours, in Paraguay. At the waterfalls.

09-10-2021 9:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996245#Comment_117996245

Paraguay is a place I’ve rarely heard of folk visiting, and nobody I know has been. There is some Irish connection, some Irish woman of note was a significant historic figure there is do thing I vaguely recall.

09-10-2021 9:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996075#Comment_117996075

Stayed in a hotel in Tirana whose entire food supply from bread, eggs, jam, meat, wine, was entirely from the family organic farm in the countryside. Amazing stuff. The potholes on the footpaths are something to behold, but huge wealth apparent in the Christian churches in spite of it being a majority Muslim country, albeit a very low key form of Islam.

In Serbia my way more modern style Radisson hotel had a supply of organic food, with amazing breakfast array. Those lower key Balkan countries are making a virtue of having retained some traditional forms of agriculture which fits very well into modern trends of ecotourism.

09-10-2021 9:18am

Slovenia,Philippinnes, Zambia and Zimbabwe(when they were expelling whites!) The surprising thing was at the time Zimbabwe seems quite prosperous with people out and about everywhere working and living their lives, while in Zambia and South Africa there were lots of men hanging around doing nothing

SouthWesterly · 09-10-2021 9:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996536#Comment_117996536

Zimbabwe was a prosperous country until they threw the whites out.

Have been to Mozambique

I did 3 countries in a day.

Denmark, Sweden and Germany and spent a few hours in each. Got home 20 hours after leaving.

seenitall · 09-10-2021 9:12pm

French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and some other smaller islands), my most exotic holiday by far.

Mad_maxx · 09-10-2021 10:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995230#Comment_117995230

I could see Uruguay across the river from a point in Buenos Aires

rainagain · 09-10-2021 10:56pm

Brunei, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Nepal

Still stihl waters 3 · 09-10-2021 11:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996075#Comment_117996075

That reads like an Army/Gardai UN duty ticket

Rustyman101 · 09-10-2021 11:13pm

Guinnea Bissau, Senegal, gambia not really off the track.

Nigel Fairservice · 10-10-2021 1:29am

In terms of countries probably North Macedonia. Pleasant enough place I thought. In terms of places, Alaska was probably the most out of the way place I've been to. It had a frontier vibe to it. The strangest was Bethlehem in the West Bank. I always had a child's image of the place in my head from primary school and the reality of it was so different.

signostic · 10-10-2021 1:35am

Most Europeans except Netherlands, Nordic, Switz, Balkans, South Korea with an exclusive visit to the DMZ with the US Army

USA, Columbia, Costa Rica, Tijuana & Ciudad Juarez(never again) in Mexico.

10-10-2021 3:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996142#Comment_117996142

That you Jack Sparrow?

10-10-2021 4:57am

Sri Lanka and Indonesia I suppose.

Andrewf20 · 10-10-2021 9:30am

Nepal, Bhutan, Iceland, Galapagos, Brazil, Chile (Patagonia) , Ecuador, Argentina, Tanzania.

Nepal is class and well worth a visit, same with Iceland and patagonia. Bhutan was escorted tour only. Strange place. Endless hills with forests and temples dotted all over the place. Thimphu is a capital city there with zero traffic lights. Loads of stray dogs and empty hotels. We booked the galapagos in Quito and it was half the price of booking it from Ireland.

Zebra3 · 10-10-2021 10:55am

N Korea, Nagorno Karabach, Brunei, occupied West Bank, Transnistria, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, El Salvador, lot of Central Asia.

10-10-2021 11:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000126#Comment_118000126

ARe you a bird-watcher of the republican persuasion?

10-10-2021 11:01am

Leitrim, and as my family will confirm "He doesn't like to talk about it"

Sadly, I've never been outside Europe. Hats off to those that can backpack, on their own especially.

helimachoptor · 10-10-2021 11:08am

Was in Saudi Arabia a couple of weeks ago, far far different than is portrayed in the western media.

10-10-2021 11:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000187#Comment_118000187

In what way?

helimachoptor · 10-10-2021 11:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000195#Comment_118000195

City is pretty modern, buildings that would put NYC to shame and it's growing. Pretty good infrastructure which they're adding a very big metro service to.

60% of the population is under 30, so there's lots of changes happening before they are made happen imo.

Still see women in the full covering but at least in the offices I was in it was very uncommon

10-10-2021 11:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000212#Comment_118000212

Oh right, I always assumed Saudi to be a very modern country. Haven't been there, but have been in the region.

helimachoptor · 10-10-2021 11:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000230#Comment_118000230

My first time, be back a bit for work so will hopefully get to Jeddah at some point.

Spent a few months working in Kosovo in the early 00's, an interesting experience

10-10-2021 11:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000241#Comment_118000241

Yeah, Kosovo reminds me of Ireland in the 70s!

I would think the early 2000s, was fairly rough!

scottygee · 10-10-2021 11:33am

Costa Rica, Morocco, Cape Town, Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Croatia

Fr Tod Umptious · 10-10-2021 12:57pm

Been to Papua New Guinea for work.

It's a poor place, probably has the potential to be a tourist hot spot with it's mountains and forests etc but has a lot of issues.

HeidiHeidi · 10-10-2021 1:05pm

Ethiopia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cabo Verde (not one of the two "touristy" islands), Tierra del Fuego, Tory Island (that's only half tongue in cheek, it really is like a different country out there!).

Nearly got on a trip sailing from Galapagos Islands to French Polynesia last year, but fkn Covid 😡🙄😡

Still stihl waters 3 · 10-10-2021 1:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117999465#Comment_117999465

Why not juarez again

10-10-2021 1:32pm

….

rainbowtrout · 10-10-2021 1:49pm

Been to Greenland twice, would recommend it if you don't mind the cold.

fortwilliam · 10-10-2021 2:16pm

Spent a few years living in The Solomon Islands

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Solomon%2BIslands/%40-9.2645286%2C152.5271508%2C5z/data%3D%213m1%214b1%214m5%213m4%211s0x68d351e0555009d1%3A0xb44cc0a017442980%218m2%213d-9.64571%214d160.156194

10-10-2021 2:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117999133#Comment_117999133

Yeah, didn’t have time when in Buenos Aires, but there was the possibility of taking the day trip across La Platte estuary to Colonia, a lovely place to visit, I hear. Had a relative living there for a year and he enjoyed it. Uruguay is reasonably prosperous, kind of regarded as the Switzerland of South America.

10-10-2021 2:32pm

Typical scenes in Tirana. Cleaner than Dublin, but a constant trip hazard. The lawyers here could make a mint out of it.

Albania mightn’t have the big chains, but does its own better quality versions like Albania Fried Chicken!

10-10-2021 2:44pm

Been to tongatapu and vavau, Samoa.. Beautiful places, would go again in a heartbeat. Although reading up on Tonga lately, there seems to be Alot of crystal meth floating around and causing the problems that comes with that. Still beautiful though, relaxed way of life and beautiful scenery.

Zebra3 · 10-10-2021 3:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000151#Comment_118000151

No idea what that means.

Which "off the beaten track" countries have you visited?

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